When I was in my ninth grade, I was on a stage-design team for a play and Mrs. Reagan was my director. Almost immediately I loved her. She had an unpleasant voice and a direct way of speaking, __1__ she was encouraging and inspiring. For some reason, she was impressed with my work and me.
Mrs. Reagan would ask me for my __2__. She wanted to know how I thought we should deal with things. At first I had no idea how to answer because I knew __3__ about stage design! But I slowly tried to answer her __4__. It was cause and effect: She believed I had opinions, so I began to make them and I completed them perfectly. She believed in me, so I began to believe in myself.
Mrs. Reagan 's motto that year was, "Try it. We can achieve it __5__!" I began to take the chances. I had been so afraid of failing but suddenly there was no failing. I learned to create something __6__.
The shy, quiet freshman achieved success that year. I was __7__ in the program as "Student Art Assistant" because of the time and effort I'd put in. It was that year that I __8__ I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing stage design.
Being on that stage-design team with Mrs. Reagan changed me completely. Not only was I stronger and more experienced than I had thought, but I also __9_ a strong interest and a world I hadn't known. She taught me not to __10__ what people think I should do. She taught me to take chances and not be __11_. Mrs. Reagan was the person who gave me confidence when I was upset. Her trust in me has encouraged me to do things that I never imagined __12__.

A．and B．so C．yet D．for

A．impression B．opinion C．information D．advice

A．anything B．something C．everything D．nothing

A．questions B．words C．explanations D．ideas

A．again B．more C．instead D．later

A．easily B．carefully C．confidently D．proudly

A．introduced B．recognized C．placed D．considered

A．proved B．decided C．accepted D．realized

A．discovered B．developed C．took D．encouraged

A．accept B．decide C．care D．wonder

A．afraid B．lazy C．sad D．bored

A．successful B．possible C．enjoyable D．agreeable